They are buildings, cities and natural wonders. They house the heights of cultural achievement and offer backdrops for our best ideas. Asked to name the most influential place in history, previous and present TIME 100 honorees reflect on locations that have seen and in some cases helped bring about some of the most transformative moments in human experience.

The Great Pyramid and Sphinx, Giza

By TIME EditorsMonday, Apr. 23, 2012

Radius / Corbis

Sphinx and Pyramid of Khafre in Giza, Egypt

Believed to have been built about 2500 B.C., the Sphinx is the world's oldest known monumental sculpture. The part human, part lion figure was once buried up to its neck in sand but was fully excavated in the 20th century. The tourists followed.